Hunters often use a lure or scent for attracting game to a particular site. A predominant use of lures is for attracting deer. It is well known that deer are particularly susceptible to lures and attractants during the mating season. Several devices have been proposed in the past for dispensing the lure to a designated site. These devices are typically designed for slow release of the lure to the ground for prolonging the effectiveness of the lure.
One form of dispensing device for dispensing a scent comprises a container or reservoir and a dispensing spout. The dispensing spouts are designed to slowly drip the scent to the ground over an extended period of time. It is generally desirable to control the flow rate of the scent to prolong the life of the scent since the scent is expensive. Examples of this type of dispensing device are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,430 to Ziese Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,177 to Gray II et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,411 to Uhlman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,763 to Kierum et al. Although these devices are effective in dispensing the scent, they are inefficient since a large portion of the scent soaks into the ground and is lost. By dripping the scent onto the ground, only a small portion becomes airborne so as to attract the game. The remainder of the scent is absorbed by the ground or washed away by rain.
Other dispensing devices for dispensing a scent include a porous body that is saturated by the scent. The device can be carried by the hunter or suspended from a tree or bush to attract the game to the site. One example of this form of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,218 to Stewart. The device disclosed in this patent includes a container and a liquid absorbent wick. The wick includes a central core and a plurality of projecting legs extending beyond the central core to enhance airborne distribution of the game luring scent. The wick is stored in the container to absorb the scent. The wick is then removed from the container and hung in a tree or bush to diffuse the scent to the air currents. This device has the disadvantage of not having a container capable of providing a continuous supply of scent to the wick. Furthermore, when the wick is first removed from the container, the wick is saturated with the scent which tends to drip onto the ground from the ends of the wick legs, thereby reducing the efficiency of the device.
The above-noted devices are not entirely effective in dispensing game lures in an efficient manner. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a device for diffusing a game luring scent while minimizing waste of the scent.